TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - As the red tide crisis continues to devastate Florida's marine life, Governor Rick Scott has issued an emergency order.
Experts say humans play a large role in allowing this toxic algae bloom. The good news, we can help be part of the solution too.
Red tide blooms in warm waters that have a lot of nutrients, which come from fertilizers used on yards and farms.
When it rains, those nutrients travel into the Gulf of Mexico and nearby waters fueling toxic algae.
Dead fish, sea turtles and manatees continue washing up on Florida's beaches from the red tide outbreak.
"We're also seeing beach-nesting birds whose chicks are starving on the beach for lack of fish, healthy fish, for their parents to feed them. It really is incredibly tragic," said Julie Wraithmell, Executive Director of Audubon Florida. "While red tides are naturally occurring, they're not normally as geographically expansive as this one is. It's stretching all the way from Naples to St. Petersburg."
Experts say the red tide usually doesn't last this long and the effects it's having on our marine life are irreversible.
